APUSH After School Review: U.S.

Foreign Policy, An Overview

Quick Breakdown
1. The Doctrine of Two Hemispheres (Degler 15)
a. Isolationism (1776-1880s)
2. The “New Manifest Destiny” 1880s-1914
3. WWI 1914-1919
4. The “New Isolationism” 1920s-1930s
5. WWII 1941-1945
6. The Cold War Era 1945-1990
7. Post Cold War Era 1990 to current

I. WWI
a. Initial policy: neutral
b. US declares itself neutral
i. President Wilson wants people neutral
c. At first, Wilson seeks, through diplomacy to remain removed from the action
i. Submarine warfare gets us in there
d. German sub warfare on neutral merchant and passenger ships ultimately pulls US into war
i. Lusitania is sunk, 125 Americans killed
e. Berlin agrees not to shoot foreign ships but continue to do it anyway
f. See Degler 15’s remarks
g. March 1916- The Sussex Pledge
i. Unless Germany renounced sinking neutral ships w/o warning, US to break diplomatic
ties
ii. Germany acquiesces but adds that US must persuade GB to stop her blockade
1. Wilson knows it can’t happen but says he can anyway
h. January 22, 1917- Wilson’s state of union address- “Peace w/o victory”
i. Encouraging communication to maintain peace
i. January 31, 1917- Kaiser announces unrestricted sub warfare- calls Wilson’s bluff
i. Resume unrestricted submarine warfare
j. Wilson says that we have to have an overt act in order to declare war
i. Arming of merchant ships- wants them to arm themselves because of unrestricted sub
warfare
ii. Zimmerman Note (Germany-Mexico)
iii. Merchant vessels are sunk
k. April 1917- US declares war on Germany
i. People are unable to support the idea of War
l. January 1918- Wilson’s 14 points
i. It’s now about democracy and self determination
ii. All of the stuff in the 14 points we should go back and review
iii. We fight WWI, it’s time to negotiate peace, and Wilson has these 14 points
iv. Wilson gets to Treaty of Versailles, Wilson’s at a political disadvantage
m. 1919- Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles
i. People voted Republican because Wilson goes to campaign during the war
ii. No Repubs on his committee = BAD
n. 1919-’20- US Senate rejects Treaty of Versailles and membership in League of Nations
i. Irreconcilables
ii. 14 reservations
iii. Doesn’t get passed because of idea of foreign entanglements
iv. Old yet prevalent fear of “foreign entanglements”
v. Reflection of the “new isolationism” on horizon
II. The New Isolationism
a. We damage the conditions that are going on throughout the world
III. Warren G. Harding- R (1921-1923)
a. 1921- Joint resolution of Congress declared war v. Germany officially ended
b. 1921-’22 The Washington Naval Conference (review Degler 15)
i. 5 power treaty- naval disarmament (ship ratios)
ii. 9 power treaty- territorial integrity of China
iii. 4 power treaty- political organization of the Pacific
1. US, France, GB, and Japan
iv. US Congress refuses to make a commitment
1. Nothing to enforce it, no consequences for breaking the treaties
c. Fordney- McCumber Tariff: Raised to 38.5% from 27%
i. Europe hikes up their tariffs
ii. Not bad for us
d. 1923- Harding unexpectedly dies
IV. Calvin Coolidge- R (1923-1928)
a. 1924-’26 Caribbean & Central American Action:
i. Withdrew troops from Dominican Republic
ii. Troops remain in Haiti
iii. Brief removal of troops from Nicaragua but sent back to stay until 1933
1. We need oil to run America
iv. Diplomacy in Mexico over oil
b. 1924- Dawes Plan for International Debt
i. The monetary merry go round
1. We come out of WWI as a world power
ii. US loan money to Germany who would pay other allies who would pay the US
c. 1928- Kellogg-Briand Pact (Pact of Paris)
i. Only defensive warfare
ii. International pact NOT to use war as an instrument of policy
iii. Known as “parchment peace”
iv. Signed by 60+ nations
V. Herbert Hoover- R (1929-1932)
a. 1928-‘33’ Good Neighbor Policy in Latin America:
i. Hoover lays foundation for FDR to carry on
ii. 1928- Good will tour of Latin Am- on a US battleship
iii. 1932- Haiti Treaty- complete withdrawal of US troops by 1934
iv. 1933- last of US Marines withdraw from Nicaragua
v. Shows us that Hoover has abandoned the Roosevelt Corollary
1. No longer going to use intervention as our primary tool
b. 1932- Stimson Doctrine
i. Result of Japanese invasion of Manchuria
1. League of Nations- Econ embargo on Japan
a. US refuses Econ embargo
i. However will not recognize the acquiring of Manchuria
ii. In response to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria
iii. Refuses to join League of Nations in economic embargo
iv. US refuses to recognize any territory acquired by force
v. Jokingly known as a “paper bullet”
vi. Important because it symbolizes that collective security is dead
1. Shows us that the league of nations has no will to enforce anything
VI. Franklin D. Roosevelt- D (1933-1945)
a. 1933:
i. London Economic Conference:
 1. Meeting of 66 nations
2. Goal: organize a global attack on the Depression
a. If everyone got together they believed that they might believed that it
would be possible to solve the depression problem. FDR believed that
we shouldn’t put econ success of US before the econ success of the
world
3. London Econ Conference falls apart because America isn’t there
4. FDR fears that any international agreement on world currencies might
jeopardize recovery at home
5. World depression, lack of desire to work together = rise in nationalism because
they know they have to take care of themselves
a. Causes WWII
ii. Formal recognition of the USSR:
1. Bolshevik been around for 16 years before US recognizes it
2. Hopes that they might be trade partners and friends against and
German/Japanese aggression
b. 1934- Tydings-McDuffie Act:
i. Provided for Philippines independence within 12 years
1. Passed w/ intention of helping America
ii. Japan sees this and says US won’t be a problem in the Pacific
iii. Step closer towards WWII
c. Good Neighbor Policy in Latin America:
i. 1933: Pan American Conference
1. Neighbors could be a tool to invading the United States
2. US committed to non-intervention
3. Essentially an invitation for all Latin American countries to protect Western
Hemisphere from outside aggressors
a. Unlike everything else, deeds followed words
ii. 1934: Last US Marines pulled out of Haiti
1. Platt Amendment lifted in Cuba
iii. 1938: Mexican gov’t seizure of American oil property settled diplomatically- not with
force
1. FDR doesn’t want to invade Mexico
2. Bitter neighbors = help enemy
iv. Hurt some American investors
d. Looks like America is happy being itself
e. 1934- Reciprocal Trade Agreements Acts
i. 21 countries negotiate agreements in 5 years
ii. Increased American trade abroad
iii. Secretary of State Hull believed you sell as much as you buy
1. Believed trade war could lead to an actual war
iv. Reversed most of Hawley Smoot Tariff
f. Neutrality Acts of 1935, ’36, ’37:
i. Specifically designed to keep us out of war
1. Significant because it is saying we’re not going to distinguish. We’re staying out.
a. Says that some things are going to be illegal
b. America could not transport any weapons to any country that were
involved in foreign wars
i. Can’t make loans and sell goods and come off ships from
other countries

g. 1937- FDRs Quarantine Speech

i. In response to Japan’s invasion of China
 1. Economically embargo Japan and Italy
ii. American public freaks out
1. We don’t want to get involved at all so popular opinion thought that
quarantine speech isn’t good
iii. Sanctions stated are removed
h. Neutrality Act of 1939
i. “Cash and Carry” only
1. We didn’t want to put American stuff in danger
i. 1940 Destroyers for Bases (GB):
i. Sell Britain 50 old destroyers for 8 naval base sites
1. Executive order
a. Congress doesn’t want to get involved
j. 1941-
i. Lend Lease Act
1. An economic declaration of war on Axis Powers
2. The “arsenal of democracy”
ii. Atlantic Charter:
1. 8 point charter that was similar in context to Wilson’s 14 points
2. Included U.N.
k. 1940-’41- Trade Embargos on Japan:
i. Cut off US scrap iron, oil, & aviation fuel
ii. Freeze on Japanese assets in US
iii. Spurs diplomatic negotiations between US/Japan until the attack on Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii- 12/7/1941
VII. WWII
a. December 8, 1941- Declaration of War against Japan
b. Allied Conferences:
i. Early 1943- Casablanca, Morocco:
1. GB/US- agree to seek “unconditional surrender”
ii. Late 1943- Tehran, Iran:
1. GB/US/USSR- strategy to “squeeze” Germany
iii. 1944- Breton Wood, N.H.:
1. Econ. Conference with western nations
2. Creation of the IMF and World Bank
iv. Spring of 1945- Yalta, Russia:
1. GB/US/USSR- Post war Europe strategy
a. USSR- agreed to free elections in Bulgaria, Romania, and Poland
b. Agreed to attack Japan within the first 3 months of the fall of Germany
v. Summer of 1945- Potsdam, Germany
1. GB/US/USSR
2. Potsdam Declaration = Japan must unconditionally surrender or be destroyed
c. May 8, 1945- VE Day!
d. August, 1945- Atomic Bombs used on Japan
i. 6th = Hiroshima
ii. 9th= Nagasaki
e. September2, 1945- Japan’s formal surrender- VJ Day
VIII. Cold War
IX. Harry S. Truman- D (1945-1952)
a. Secretary of State Dean Acheson
b. Communism v. Capitalism or East v. West
c. Roots of Cold War
d. Policy of Containment (George Kennan):
i. Europe and the West:
 1. 1945- UN meets for first time in S.F.
2. 1947- Truman Doctrine (containment); Marshall Plan; National Security Act;
West Germany & West Berlin
3. 1948- Creation of the Organization of America of States (OAS)
4. 1948-’49- Berlin Blockade; Berlin Airlift
5. 1949- NATO
ii. Asia:
1. 1946- Philippine Independence (except bases)
2. 1949- Chine becomes communist
a. Communism in it’s truest form is intended to take over the world
3. 1950- Perimeter Speech- Korea outside defense
4. 1950-’53- Korean Conflict
a. UN police action
iii. Middle East:
1. 1945 on- oil interests & relation with Arab nations
2. 1948- recognition of Israel
a. Against the advice of Congress
X. Dwight D. Eisenhower- R (1953-1960)
a. Secretary of State = John Foster Dulles
b. Policy influence of Dulles:
i. Collective security brinksmanship; massive retaliation; SAC; domino theory
1. Massive retaliation: we’re going to nuke you
a. Big deal to use nuclear weapons on another country
2. SAC- Air fleet of super boomers will missiles
a. Strategic American Command
3. Brinkmanship- make a threat that is bigger than what you are willing to do
a. i.e. Cuban Missile Crisis
c. Western Europe:
i. European Econ Community precursor to European Union
ii. NATO
d. Eastern Europe and the USSR:
i. 1955:
1. Warsaw Pact- East’s answer to NATO
2. Geneva Summit- “open skies”- rejected by Soviets
a. Don’t get confused with Geneva Accord!
ii. 1956- Hungarian Revolt and failure of “massive retaliation” to react
iii. 1957- USSR’s launch of Sputnik kicks in the space and rocket race
iv. 1958- Temporary suspension of Nuke testing by both superpowers
1. Soviet suggested it especially since they did the dirty nuclear testing.
v. 1959- Khrushchev visits US = thaw
1. Retract ultimatum
vi. 1960:
1. U-2 Spy plane shot down over USSR
2. Summit falls apart and thaw freezes back again
e. Asia:
i. 1952-’53- End of the Korean Conflict
ii. 1954:
1. Domino Speech
2. Geneva Accords:
a. Establishes NO/SO Vietnam at 17th parallel
b. Domino Principle applies = $ and military advisors
c. Establishment of SEATO
f. Middle East:
 i. 1953- CIA engineered coup in Iran; over threw the Shah
1. Shah was ignoring influence of western nations in their area
ii. 1956- Suez Canal Crisis
1. Gov’t of Egypt
2. President Nasser needs to build a dam for electricity
a. Flirts with communist powers
3. US withdraws offer of money to help Egypt
4. Nasser nationalizes the dam
a. Threatens to cut of western nations oil supplies
b. Britain and France attack Egypt
5. Last time US is able to use its oil supply as a tool or a weapon
a. Eisenhower was able to kill the invasion of Egypt by threatening to
withdraw oil supplies
iii. Eisenhower Doctrine
1. Like Truman Doctrine in Middle East
2. Provide military aid and monetary aid for those threatened by communism
3. 1958- Troops sent to Lebanon to quell communist threat
a. Westernized nation in the middle east
b. Egyptian troops say they want to overthrow the Lebanese gov’t
i. Lebanese ask US for help, US says yeah sure.
1. Bloodless end to the invasion
iv. Formation of OPEC
1. Oil Producing and Exporting Countries
g. Western Hemisphere
i. 1954- CIA engineered coup in Guatemala to oust leftist gov’t
ii. 1959- Cuban Revolution
1. Castro regime takes control
a. That’s when America sees how communist Cuba is
b. Seizes American property/investments in Cuba
c. Fear of Cuban alliance with USSR
d. Sugar embargo against Cuba
2. Results in America getting more involved
iii. 1960:
1. OAS condemns Communist presence in Latin America
2. $500 million given to “Marshall Plan” for Latin America
XI. John F. Kennedy- D (1961- 1963)
a. Policy is “Flexible Response”
i. Multiple responses
ii. Secretary of State: McNamara
b. Europe/USSR
i. 1961- Berlin Wall is built
ii. 1962- Trade Expansion Act:
1. Sought to boost Euro- Am Trade
iii. 1963- Speech at American University, D.C.:
1. Called on U.S. people to look at USSR w/o threat
c. Third World “Brush Fires”- require “Flexible Response”
i. 1960- Newly independent African Congo:
1. U.N. Peacekeeping mission and lots of U.S. $
ii. 1961-
1. Sending “military advisors” to Vietnam
2. Formation of the Peace Corps
iii. 1962- Geneva Conference
1. Sought shaky peace for Laos to end their civil war
 d. Western Hemisphere:
i. 1961
1. Alianza para el progreso
a. Continuation of Ike’s Marshall Plan for Latin Am
i. To help the distribution of wealth
2. Bay of Pigs
a. Disastrous CIA plan to topple Castro/Cuba
ii. 1962- Cuban Missile Crisis:
1. Brinksmanship
a. JFK says dismantle them and we see it as a threat
XII. Lyndon B. Johnson- D (1963-1968)
a. 1963- JFK assassinated- LBJ takes over
b. Vietnam = containment in S..E Asia
i. Gulf of Tonkin incident : Gulf of tinkin resolution
ii. Escalation of the war: bombing and troops sent
iii. Anti war movement at home- its influence on policy
iv. Question on “winnability” of the war
v. Tet Offensive- “straw that broke camel’s back”
vi. Use of CIA to spy on domestic antiwar activists
1. FBI actively sabotaging the peace groups
vii. Beginning of de-escalation
XIII. Richard M. Nixon- R (1969-1974)
a. Europe/USSR:
i. 1972:
1. Visit to the USSR (after visit to China)
a. Sets in motion détente = relation of tensions
b. SALTI Treaty = freeze in long range nukes for 5 years
i. Strategic Arms Limitation
c. ABM Treaty = limited the number of defensive possessed
i. Anti Ballistic Missile
b. Asia:
i. 1968-1975- Vietnam winding down
1. Nixon doctrine and Vietnamization
a. Nixon doctrine- would acknowledge existing commitments in existing
nations
b. Spread of war into Cambodia and Laos
c. War powers act
d. Cease Fire agreement (ultimately breaks down)
e. 1972- Visit to the People’s republic of China
c. Middle East- Shuttle Diplomacy
i. 1973- Syria and Egypt attack Israel
1. US will try to send some weapons and representatives over
2. West Bank and Gaza was lost by Syria and Egypt
3. S & E go there to gain back land previously lost in 6 days war
ii. 1973-’74- Arab Oil Embargo
1. Energy crisis at home
2. Foreshadowing change to come in domestic and foreign policy
a. Cause America can’t do things just because they want to do things
because it’s right how it affects oil
iii. 1974- US leads formation of International Energy Agency- a counter to OPEC
XIV. Gerald R. Ford- R (1974-1976)
a. Europe/USSR/Asia
i. 1975:
 1. Helsinki Accords (US/USSR)
a. Addressed postwar boundaries
b. Loosened exchanges in information and travel restrictions between
Eastern block and West
c. Identified human rights protections
ii. The fall of south Vietnam to the commie north
XV. Jimmy Carter-D (1977-1980)
a. Europe/ USSR
i. 1979
1. SALT II Treaty (Carter and Brezhnev)
a. Limit levels of long range nuke missels
b. Never approved by US Senate
2. Soviets invade Afghanistan:
a. Afghanistan is next to Iran and Iran has all the oil
b. US embargo on exports of grain and high tech machinery
c. Use any means necessary to protect the Persian Gulf
d. US boycott Moscow Olympics
b. Middle East:
i. 1978- Camp David Accords:
1. Peace agreements w/ Israel and Egypt
ii. Nov. 1979- Iranian Hostage Crisis
1. Militant religious extremist who storm the US embassy and hold 55 US embassy
workers hostage- lasts 444 days
2. For release
a. World pressure
b. Economic sanctions
c. Humiliating foiled military attempt at rescue
3. Made America look helpless and incompetent
c. Asia:
i. 1979- full diplomatic relations with China (after 30 years)
d. Western Hemisphere:
i. 1979- Agreements with Panama to turn over complete control of the canal by 2000
XVI. The Reagan Years- R (1981-1988)
a. Reagan’s stance on the Soviet Union
i. Believed them to be criminals, liars, and cheaters
ii. Called them the “evil empire”
iii. Believed in negotiating with them but only through a position of strength- “peace
through strength”
b. Reagan increases military spending
c. Reagan’s strategy in dealing with USSR:
i. Enormously expand US military capabilities
ii. Threaten them with a new round of arms race
iii. In short- outspend them and bring them to their knees financially- force them to the
bargaining table
d. Europe/USSR:
i. 1981- Economic Sanctions on USSR/ Poland
1. In response to Soviet crushing of Polish Solidarity labor movement
ii. 1983- Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) or “Star Wars”
1. Orbiting battle stations in space that can fire laser beams or other forms of
concentrated energy that can vaporize intercontinental missiles
2. Peace thru strength- emphasis on defense
3. Force the societs to counter with $$$$/research
iii. Trying to intimidate the Soviet Union
 iv. 1985- USSR Thaw with Premier Mikhail Gorbachev
1. Policies of Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (restructuring)
v. 1985-’88- Reagan/Gorbachev Summits
1. Geneva, Switzerland- 1985
a. Discuss elimination of INF (mid-range missiles) from Europe
2. Reykjavik, Iceland- 1986 = stalemate
3. Washington D.C.- 1987:
a. INF Treaty- banned all Intercontinental Nuke Missiles from Europe
i. Good time for all
4. Moscow, Russia- 1989 = friendly farewell
e. Middle East
i. January 20th, 1981- Release of Iranian Hostages (Inauguration day)
ii. 1983- US marines to Lebanon
1. As a part of peacekeeping force in their civil war
2. 200+ murdered by a homicide bomber
iii. 1986: Iran-Contra Scandal:
1. Arms for hostages secret operation
2. Sells arms to Iran for release of US hostages
3. Use the money to secretly fund the Contra rebels against commies in Nicaragua
4. Strategic air raids against Libya due to their terrorist actions against US military
personnel
iv. 1987:
1. US Navy begins escorts of oil tankers in Persian Gulf during Iran/Iraq war
f. Western Hemisphere: (response to commie threat)
i. 1981-’83:
1. El Salvador- military advisors sent to fight to aid gov’t
2. Nicaragua- covert aid (CIA, weapons, $) sent to Contra Rebels to fight off leftist
Sandinista Regime
3. Island of grenade- us marines sent to overthrow commie insurgents and save
us medical students
g. Asia
i. 1986- Philippines:
1. US backs ouster of dictator Ferdinand Marcos
2. Help democratically elected president Corazon Aquino take power
XVII. George H.W. Bush- R (1989-1992)
a. Europe/USSR:
i. 1989- Fall of the Berlin Wall:
1. Prelude to the fall of communism across E. Europe
ii. 1991- Collapse of communism in USSR
1. Creation of the Commonwealth of the Independent States (CIS)
2. European economy faces shakey times as it absorbs the collapsed commie
countries
3. Note the changing role of NATO
iii. 1993- START II Accords (Russia/US)
1. Designed to reduce long-range nukes by 2/3 in 10 years
b. Middle East:
i. 1990- Iraq invades Kuwait
1. UN responds with an economic embargo
2. Finally an ultimatum to get out or face forced removal
ii. 1991- Persian Gulf War- “Operation Desert Storm”
1. Jan 16-Feb 22 = Air War (37 days of strategic bombing)
2. Feb 23-Feb 27 = Ground War
3. Feb. 27 = Cease Fire agreement
 c. Western Hemisphere:
i. 1989- Panama:
1. US troops sent to capture dictator and drug lord Manuel Noriega
XVIII. William J. Clinton- D (1993-2000)
a. Europe
i. 1995- NATO Peacekeeping in the Balkans Ethnic War:
1. Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Serbia
b. Asia:
i. 1993 and on- Sought improved trade relations with China despite human rights violation
c. Africa and the Middle East:
i. 1993- Palestine and Israel (Arafat and Rabin)
1. Presided over reconciliation agreement
2. Later falls apart due to assassination of Rabin by militant Israelis
ii. 1993-’94- US peacekeeping in Somalia Civil War
1. Quietly will withdraw after a dozen + US soldier murdered (Al Queda rebels we
now know) = “Blackhawk Down”
d. Western Hemisphere:
i. 1993- NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
1. Mexico + U.S. + Canada
ii. 1994- Haiti:
1. US Marines sent to restore order and stabilize toppled gov’t
iii. 1995- Mexico:
1. Will provide $20 billion in temporary aid to strengthen them as NAFTA partners
e. Global:
i. WTO (World Trade Organization)
1. Created to replace the old FATT (General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs)
2. Enforce trade rules between countries
XIX. The Cost of “winning” the Cold War
a. All administrations spent trillions of dollars combined
b. Reagan administration
i. Cut most all gov’t spending except
1. Poured nearly $2 trillion into military spending
2. Also lowered taxes
a. Gap generated = huge budget deficits
b. Reagan economy = Supply Side Econ. With Gov’t Spending added
ii. C + I + G + X- M = greater GDP and greater deficits